With You By My Side
by FriendsLovers
Summary: Danny and Lindsay meet under different conditions. Will she be able to support him? Will he open up to her? And what happens when they start to get closer and closer? - DL, AU
1. Chapter 1

**With You By My Side**

**Summary: Danny and Lindsay meet under different conditions. Will she be able to support him? Will he open up to her? And what happens when they start to get closer and closer? - DL, AU**

**Author's note: This story was written for the LJ community 'AU bigbang'. It has 9 chapters and all of them are written already, so you can expect me to update this fic quickly. Thanks to Hannah554 for betaing and for creating a wonderful fanmix for me! As this was written for an AU community, this fic is...exactly, AU! I won't reveal too much yet, just give it a try! I hope you'll like it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anyone or anything!**

**Rating: T**

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**The early morning sun was just about to rise between the tall skyscrapers of New York City, changing the formerly pitch black colour of the sky into a soft mix of yellow, orange and red. Like a giant red fireball the sun was appearing in the sky, causing the thick layer of snow that was covering the city like a protective blanket, to sparkle like there were millions of diamonds hidden in it.

It was cold, icy cold, it seemed like if one stopped walking just for a moment, they would freeze right then and there. A smile was plastered all over the face of Lindsay Monroe as the young woman was making her way through the snowy streets. She wrapped her thick coat a little tighter around her slim figure, snuggling more into the scarf that was wrapped around her neck until only her little red nose was poking out of it.

As cold as it was, she loved winter. She had loved it back home in Montana where she had grown up and she loved it here in New York, her new home. Once again she felt amazement rising at the realisation of how many years she'd actually lived in the city now. Just as long she was working at one of the homeless shelters; a job she loved with a passion and which she was glad she had gotten the chance for.

Especially in times like this, Lindsay was glad that she and her friends were able to run the shelter. It was freezing cold in December and this December seemed to be even colder than usual even though it had just started. The thought of people having to sleep in the streets without any protection against the temperatures, the snow and the ice made her shudder and caused a lump in her throat. Luckily they could offer those who didn't have a home of their own a place where they were safe, at least for the night, and a place where they could have warm meals.

It wasn't even eight a.m. in the morning yet when she arrived at the inconsiderable building. Two familiar faces she found in front of it, sitting on the stairs like every morning.

"Morning, Miss Monroe," one of the two men greeted her, offering a grin.

"Morning, Jeff," Lindsay greeted back. "You're up early. Why aren't you two inside instead of freezing out here?"

"Because we were waiting to wish you a good morning," the other man answered.

"Well, then thank you and good morning to you, too, Jeff," Lindsay answered with a wink. "Now let's get in there, its damn cold out here."

In the company of the two men, Lindsay hurried to get into the building, grateful for the warmth that was greeting her. Instantly a smile lit her face; even though December had just started, everything was already decorated with Christmas stuff. A few days before, she had done this with a few of the people who came to visit their shelter regularly. The inside of the shelter with all the tables where soon people would have breakfast together was offering a cozy atmosphere. So did the room next door with the dormitory bunks. Unfortunately there was still the money missing for more furniture, but with the bits they had they had tried to make it as homey as possible.

"Good morning, Lindsay," a familiar voice greeted her from across the room. A second later, a smiling woman appeared behind the counter where soon the breakfast would be served.

"Good morning, Jess," Lindsay greeted her, making her way over to her friend. "How was the night shift?"

Jess groaned. "You know, I could imagine something better than working the night shift," she answered as Lindsay headed through the tiny kitchen into the room behind it where they stored their clothes and other belongings, saying a quick hello to her other friend Stella who was working on the breakfast. "But then again Don worked the night shift as well, which means we can spend the day together."

"Really?" Lindsay smiled brightly as she returned to the counter. "So you and Don will spend the day today? Don't you want to catch up on some sleeping?"

"Oh, we surely will sleep. A bit. After...you know. Warming up a bit," Jess replied with a wink, causing Lindsay to laugh.

"Have fun, although I bet you'll have it anyway," she said.

"Yep, I will. And so should you," Jess said with an expression that caused Lindsay to look away. She knew what her friend was going to hint to now. "I know we've had this conversation like a million of times. But...see, I really don't get you, Linds. Why are you against finding yourself a man so strictly? Don't you think you'd enjoy having someone you can go to after a long shift? Someone who's there for you, who loves you, just the way you love him? Don't you think its way too long since you had a boyfriend for the last time?"

"I'm doing fine, really," Lindsay answered, smiling at her friend. "But didn't you want to hurry to meet Don?"

Jess laughed. "Okay, I get the message. You don't wanna talk about it now. Fine, but we'll get back to that topic, believe me. I'll see you later." Once again she winked at Lindsay before she disappeared into the room behind the kitchen from where she would leave the shelter through the second exit.

Shaking her head in amusement, Lindsay turned her attention back to work. The first people were about to enter the shelter, longing for breakfast. Of course her friend was right; it would feel good to have a man at her side, someone who loved her and someone who she would love back. But currently she didn't see herself having time for a relationship. Work was consuming most of her time.

Also she wasn't willing to start a relationship that would lead nowhere. Despite what people tried to make her believe, she wasn't going to start a relationship with a random man, hoping that somewhere along the line she would manage to get feelings for him. She wanted to feel a connection to the person she wanted to start a relationship with. She wanted to fall in love, not to make herself like someone she knew she didn't belong with. It might sound naive or like she was a hopeless romantic but Lindsay didn't care. She wanted to experience real love which she still believed in. No matter how long she had to wait for it.

"You know, I agree with Jess," Stella interrupted her in her thoughts, joining her behind the counter.

"I know you do," Lindsay answered with a smile. But although she knew her friends reminded her because they wanted the best for her, she wasn't willing to deepen this topic. "So how about you? You said you started dating someone new. How is he?"

"Oh, he is fantastic," Stella replied, to Lindsay's relief agreeing to the change of topic. "He's smart, sexy...everything you can wish for. His name is Mac Taylor."

"Sounds fantastic," Lindsay said, Stella nodding in full agreement.

A few more words were exchanged before both women had to turn their attention back to work. The dining room of the shelter had filled and in a long row, people were expecting breakfast now.

Like every morning, Lindsay handed the trays with a well filled plate of bread and a mug of coffee to whoever appeared in front of her. Mostly those were familiar faces; usually it was always the same people that came to visit the shelter, every day, most of them also slept there. It was a way to get in touch with people and Lindsay was grateful that the visitors seemed to have enough trust in her, Stella and Jess to talk to them and share stories with them. Even happier she was when yet again someone came to them to announce they had found a new job and a new home; such moments they had experienced a couple of times and it was a joy that never failed to brighten their days.

But, like every day, Lindsay found herself looking out for someone in particular and it didn't stay unnoticed that a strange kind of excitement filled her when she saw him in the row, waiting with the others.

Danny Messer; Lindsay knew his name. Once he had shared it with her; one of the very rare times he had actually spoken a word since the day he had shown up at the shelter for the first time around a month ago.

Everything in Danny's behavior was different to what Lindsay was used to from other people at the shelter. He didn't come every day to get a warm meal; she assumed he waited until he couldn't bare his hunger any longer as he swallowed his food down in record time. So far he had never slept at the shelter either and when it came to talking, it seemed like he refused to have contact with anyone. Many times visitors of the shelter had tried to integrate him into their conversations; usually all they had gotten were a few short answers and weary smiles before he fell silent again. Stella, Jess and Lindsay hadn't managed to make him talk either yet.

Lindsay didn't know if his unusual behavior or something else was the reason why Danny had caught her attention. At first she hadn't even noticed it, but with time she had realized that every day she was looking out for him, waiting for him to show up and that she felt relief floating through her whenever he actually arrived at the shelter.

Like today. Lindsay didn't try to deny to herself that she felt happiness rising the moment Danny stood in front of her and she could hand the tray over to him.

"Good morning, Danny," she greeted him. "You haven't been here for a while."

"Morning," Danny greeted her back. For just a brief moment, he looked up at her, his eyes finding hers. It wasn't the first time Lindsay was amazed by the beautiful sparkling blue of Danny's eyes. "Yeah, didn't feel like eating." He took the tray from her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Lindsay answered. Continuing her work, her eyes remained focused on him. She watched how Danny walked over to one of the tables and sat down at the edge of it. Concentrating on his food and shutting everything else around him off, he hurried to eat.

Lindsay didn't believe his words for a second. He hadn't visited the shelter for a couple of days. She hoped he had found other ways to get himself food but something was telling her he hadn't eaten anything ever since then.

Even after the last person had gotten their tray with breakfast, Lindsay remained standing at the counter, still with her eyes focused on Danny. She had worked at this shelter for years now; she had seen many people and she had to admit that although she knew she had to try to keep a professional distance between her personal feelings and work, she couldn't stop herself from caring for the story of every single of their visitors. Many different destinies she had witnessed, many different stories she had heard. Some of the people sitting at the tables were visiting the shelter for all those years she was working there and she assumed this possibly wouldn't change. All of them had a special part in her heart and she was grateful for every smile, every conversation she could have with them. And for the knowledge that in this shelter they could get the food and bed they needed.

Still something was different when it came to Danny. He had caught her attention even though Lindsay wasn't sure why. She knew she couldn't force him to visit them more often or to stay overnight; it was his decision. Just like it was his decision whether he wanted to talk to anyone or not. One fact was clear to her though; she would continue watching him and maybe somewhere along the line he would talk to her.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wow! Thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews! And also for reading and for adding this fic! Seriously, I'm so surprised, thank you so much! I know the fic is very AU, so it makes me even happier that you like it! I hope you'll continue enjoying the fic and let me know what you think of it! Huge thanks to Hannah554 for betaing! Special thanks to pretty7, afrozenheart412, Dine89, SMacked Hard, Lindsay1234, rapidtetv, lily moonlight, rhymenocerous and Jupitor's-Cowgirl!**

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**Another morning was about to start, another cold day, the air so icy it seemed that everything and everyone who stayed outside for longer than a few minutes would freeze. This morning, no sunshine was finding its way down into the streets of New York, instead the sky was covered with thick clouds, promising more snow.

Shuddering lightly at a cold breeze that hit her, Lindsay wrapped her coat a bit tighter around herself but still it wasn't offering enough protection against the cold. She walked faster, hoping that this would keep her petite body warm, and if not that it would bring her to the shelter quicker.

A new day, and once again, like every day, Lindsay caught herself wondering if Danny would show up at the shelter. The chances weren't too high; he had been there the day before and usually he never showed up two days in a row. It was something that was bugging her more and more. Why didn't he take the help they offered? Why would he rather stay somewhere out there? She had no idea. Lindsay assumed he had to have his reasons for that and she knew she had to accept that. Anyway this didn't change her feelings regarding the situation.

Sighing lightly, she sped her walking up once again. Almost she had reached the shelter as her eyes wandered to the side. Lindsay didn't know what had made her check the alley close to her workplace. She stopped in her tracks when an all too familiar face caught her attention; quickly turning away the moment he noticed she had seen him.

Glancing at the person who tried to hide himself as much as possible behind a stack of old boxes, Lindsay raised her eyebrows. Narrowing her eyes, she concentrated on the person until she was sure she hadn't been fooled by her own thoughts. This was indeed Danny sitting over there, Danny who tried his best to be ignored by her. But she wasn't that easy.

Lindsay threw a short glance towards the shelter. Work would have to wait another couple of minutes. Her instinct was leading her in another direction and if Lindsay had learnt something, it was to follow her instincts. Currently her instincts led her into a lonely, snowy alley, over to a man who didn't bother to exchange more than a couple of words with her and only if he really had to.

Straightening herself, Lindsay walked into the alley and made her way over to the person who was cowering next to the cardboard boxes, trying to pretend he hadn't seen her. Slowly she approached. He was sitting on something she assumed had once been a mattress, clutching an old blanket around himself tightly as he stared down onto the snowy ground in front of him. She didn't have to step close to see he was shivering, the sight instantly tearing at the strings of her heart.

"Hey," Lindsay greeted him softly. "I knew I wasn't wrong, it was indeed you." She let her eyes wander over the mix of boxes, trash cans and whatever else was there to be found before she decided to sit down on the cover of one of the cans that was lying on the ground.

Just briefly Danny looked up at her, narrowing his eyes. "Why did you come over here? Surely it's not the nicest location for a good girl."

Lindsay hadn't expected him to react any other way. To him it didn't make sense that she had walked up to him, except if her interest was work-related. Lindsay didn't even know what exactly was pulling her to him but she knew she couldn't do anything against it.

"Is this where you stay every day?" she asked, ignoring his question.

"Even if it is, what's the problem with that?" Danny wanted to know, flashing her a light glare. "What are you gonna do, call the police and send me somewhere else?"

He shifted his position, everything in his body language revealing he was prepared to defend himself no matter what she would say to him. He was feeling attacked by her even though she had barely spoken a word yet. She couldn't blame him.

"I'm not here to either tell you off for living here or for instructing you," Lindsay answered then. "I'm also not here because it's my job."

Danny chuckled sarcastically. "Then why are you here?"

Lindsay glanced at him for a moment before she shrugged. "I have no idea," she said honestly. "I saw you here, I walked over here. Don't ask me why."

He gave her a cold look in response before he slid further into his blanket, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "You don't have to try this psycho crap on me," he told her.

"What psycho crap?" Lindsay wanted to know. She could feel his antipathy grow but it was nothing she wasn't used to already. If she wanted him to know she actually cared for him as a person, not as another person she would have offered help to do her duty, she had to face his distrust first.

"What psycho crap?" Danny repeated, once again releasing a sarcastic laughter. "The stuff all of you social workers, doctors and psychologists do. You try to sneak into people's heads to manipulate them and make them do what you want. You come to people in this oh so understanding way, as if you care for people but in fact all you want is to go home and be proud of yourself that you rescued someone else which will pimp your stats. You act as if you have an idea of what's going on but in fact you have no damn clue of what's going on."

He was staring at her with an expression she couldn't fully interpret. Never before had Danny spoken so much to anyone around the shelter and Lindsay was amazed by his honesty. His words didn't pain her; she was aware of people's opinion regarding people doing social jobs and she had to admit some of them clearly fitted into Danny's description.

"See, I can understand that you believe you're just another stat for me and that I want to be the smart social worker who has a solution for all your problems and who knows how you work better than you do," she answered then, deciding to be just as honest as he had been. "And I can understand that whatever I might try to explain to you about what I really think will also just come across as another way to manipulate you. In all honesty, I have absolutely no idea why I came to you, why I'm paying so much attention to you. It's not because I'm pitying you. It's also not because I'm feeling this strange wish to rescue you and make the world a better place with getting you off the street. I meant it when I said I'm not here because of the job. Truth is, I have no idea what's up with me. I love my job, I love to work for this shelter. Every single person who comes over there every day means something to me."

She paused for a moment, relieved noticing that he listened to her, even if he possibly wouldn't believe her. "I'm not doing this job because I hope to be a successful social worker and rescue as many people as I can. Some of the people who visit us every day have been living in the streets for who knows how long. They come to us to have warm food and a bed and a chat and that's it. I'm not planning on changing them if they don't want to and I also am not here to change you. I'm not even here as a social worker. I just...care for you. I don't know why exactly. I didn't try to question my motives but one fact I can tell you. I'm not talking to you to get into your mind."

"So you're just here for a chat?" he asked, still in a distant voice but in a slightly softer tone.

Lindsay shrugged. "Maybe. I was also wondering where you stay during the time you don't show up at the shelter. Usually people come over for food every day and they also usually sleep there every day. How about you? Do you have any place for the night? Or any other source for food?"

Danny glanced back at her in silence for a moment before he shrugged himself. "I don't need a place for the night," he told her then. "I have a mattress and a blanket and those boxes in case it's snowing or raining. It's enough. I also don't need to eat every day. I'm not hungry anyway."

Lindsay watched him, struggling with believing him. She was freezing herself; she didn't want to imagine how he had to be freezing at night with only this old blanket if he was already shivering right now. That he didn't eat anything during those days he stayed away from the shelter made it even harder for her to accept the fact she really couldn't force him into anything.

"You want to tell me you're not getting hungry when you don't visit us for days?" she wanted to know.

"You get used to it," he told her simply.

"You know you don't have to get used to it?" she asked back. "You don't have to sleep out here nor do you have to be without food for days."

"I don't need your help," he answered shortly, once again his expression getting colder.

Lindsay sighed. "Don't worry, I won't force anything on you. But...why? Just tell me why you can't accept any help? There is absolutely nothing wrong with that."

Danny rolled his eyes at her, groaning in response. "Don't tell me that. I don't wanna hear that, okay? Yeah, maybe there's nothing wrong with that, of course you say that. But...you don't understand it, alright? Don't even try." He paused. "Don't you have any work to do?"

It was a clear way to let her know for him there was no need to continue this conversation. But for her, it wasn't that easy to get up and simply accept. It was then that she realised her statement had been the truth; she wasn't there as a social worker, keeping the professional distance between herself and a visitor of the shelter she was working at. Something else had driven her to him and she couldn't make herself step back.

"You're incredibly stubborn," Lindsay said then, sighing once again. "Which, in fact, is a good thing. I have no idea what's happened to you and I also don't know what you're feeling. But as stubborn as you are and as much as you believe I'm just another one who's trying to do her job, it's not true. I can't force you to take the help that's offered to you. All I can do is to repeat myself. If you're hungry, go and visit us. If you don't want to sleep out here, shivering constantly, go and visit us. I can't make you do that and I don't want to either. I just wish you would at least try to see that not everyone only wants to either manipulate you or is just trying to somehow get on your nerves."

She got up. Still his eyes were focused on her and to her surprise his expression had changed just a tiny bit. "I don't know you yet and I have no idea what's been going on, like you said," Lindsay added. "But I care for you and I wish you would see that there are actually people who don't want you to stay out here and freeze and be hungry for whatever reasons."

"I'll come around when I feel like it," Danny replied.

And once again Lindsay found herself staring at him, not able to do what she had planned to do and head to the shelter. Still she saw the stubbornness in his eyes, but his voice gave him away. His mind hadn't changed and she knew if she would ever be able to change it, just a tiny bit, a lot of more had to happen and a lot of more conversations had to be made. The fact his voice had softened though made her realise that at least a bit of what she had said had actually reached him.

"I'm looking forward to it," Lindsay said then.

Danny nodded in response. Lindsay offered him a light smile before she continued her way to the shelter. She knew if she ever wanted to get through to him and make him realise she really cared for him, it was a long and rocky path. For her it didn't matter; to her it felt like it was definitely worth it.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey, thank you so much again for the wonderful feedback! I'm really excited to see you're still liking it! And so I thought it's about time for another chapter! Like always thanks to Hannah554 for betaing! Special thanks to SMacked Hard, afrozenheart412, rapidtetv, Foundgirl88, Dine89, pretty7 and rhymenocerous!**

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**Even the long shift and chats with her co-workers and friends couldn't distract Lindsay completely; over and over again her thoughts drifted away and she found herself thinking about a certain man. Danny had been very honest with her. His words had touched her deeply.

She didn't have to analyse him to know he didn't find it easy to accept any people around him who offered help. Whether this was his character or had been caused by whatever had brought him into the situation he was in now she couldn't know yet. One fact she knew for sure though, she couldn't stop thinking of him. Which didn't stay unnoticed.

"You know, one cool advantage of having friends is that you can talk to them," Jess's voice interrupted her in her thoughts. "You don't have to do it all on your own. Sometimes it helps to share thoughts and feelings with others. Especially when they're obviously bothering you so much."

"I'm fine, no worries," Lindsay answered. Like usual when she was lying though, her cheeks started to flush and the way Jess raised an eyebrow at her told her she didn't believe a word.

"Nice try. Do you need me to ask you again or will you be a good girl and speak without me having to force you?" she wanted to know, giving her friend a playful warning look.

Lindsay glanced back at her, debating whether she should actually answer or not. A sigh left her lips then as she shook her head. "It's stupid, I know. I think what I'm doing isn't even good in the first place."

"Can you be any more cryptic?" Jess wanted to know. She watched Lindsay closely before it clicked and in a quieter voice, she added, "Is it because of Danny?"

Lindsay cursed herself for blushing even more. Her behaviour was already confusing her, her reactions even more. "Yeah, it's because of him," she admitted. "I know it's stupid, just forget it,"

"You know, the more you keep on telling me to drop the topic the more curious you make me?" Jess asked back. She stepped closer, resting a hand on her friend's arm. "Tell me what's up. I won't judge you for anything, you know that."

Once again Lindsay looked at her in hesitation for a moment. Then she shrugged and sighed. "Always those stubborn people around me."

Jess laughed. "See, something we have in common. So what's up?"

"I know if my behaviour was professional, all I'd do would offer him help and wait for him to accept it and while doing it get on with the rest of my work," Lindsay explained then, thinking about how to word what she wanted to say. "But somehow...I can't. Every day I'm waiting for him to show up and I'm relieved when he does because I know he got some food. I saw him this morning and I talked to him briefly. He doesn't want to accept any help; he doesn't trust us at all. And instead of accepting his behaviour I can't stop thinking of him and wishing he would show up here. Sometimes I almost wish I could force him to sleep here instead of in some lonely alley." She sighed, shaking her head at herself. "I know how stupid that is."

"Why should that be stupid?" Jess wanted to know. "Come on, you can't just do our job without letting it affect you somehow. You're not made of stone. I know how much your work means to you and how much you care for every single visitor of this shelter. You care for them and you care for how they are, for how they feel. You want them to feel as well as possible. This is why they like to come here, because they aren't just some people you hand some food over to and put into a room, letting them be nothing else but nameless faces. It's why you're good at your job, because you care for everyone who comes here."

"Then why can't I just treat him like everyone else?" she wanted to know. "Why do I feel like I'm paying extra close attention to him? Why do I want to force him to accept help, although I know force doesn't lead to anything?"

Jess didn't reply right away. Instead she studied Lindsay for a moment, who wondered if asking those questions had been a good idea. She knew this look and knowing that Jess was honest, especially to her, she wasn't sure if she was willing to hear the answer.

"Never mind," she added, but Jess shook her head.

"No, no running away," she said. "I think there's indeed a reason why you behave like that and feel like that. It has nothing to do with being unprofessional. Not at all. It's just showing you're human."

"Now it's you who's being cryptic," Lindsay replied.

Jess smiled. "Wait, I'm not finished yet. Don't rip my head off, but I think the reason why you care for him so much is because he means more to you. More than you're willing to admit."

For a moment all Lindsay could do was stare at the woman in front of her in disbelief. There had been a couple of ideas spinning in her mind, but this one was the last she would have come up with. "Are you kidding me?" she asked. "That's..."

"The truth," Jess finished for her. "You know it. You don't want to admit it, but you know it."

"No," Lindsay contradicted firmly. "I...don't even know him. All I did was watch him over the weeks he came here and then I talked to him today."

"So what?" Jess asked back. "Who needs to know someone for ages to start feeling more? Look at Don and me. We've only gone out together once and I can't stop thinking of him anymore. It just happens sometimes. You can't do anything against feelings and they also don't follow any strict rules. There is also nothing wrong with that. You can't control who catches your attention. It can happen at a bar or on the job."

Sighing lightly, Lindsay ran her hands through her curly hair. "And what am I supposed to do now? It makes no sense anyway. He doesn't trust me, he doesn't want anything to do with us."

"You can't know that," Jess said. "And if I was you I'd not worry. Keep on doing what you believe is right. Don't wonder whether you should or not should feel a certain way. Just accept it and do what you think you have to do."

Lindsay sighed. "You're really stubborn," she said with a light smile. "Thank you." She had to admit she was still unsure whether her friend was right or not. That there were some feelings involved though she couldn't deny.

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It was late in the afternoon when Lindsay headed home again. Stepping out of the shelter, she snuggled deeper into her coat, burying her hands in the warming pockets of it. She walked quickly, hoping it would prevent her from freezing even more.

But once again she stopped as she reached the alley she had been in hours before. She couldn't help it. It seemed like something was pushing her right to him and even though she knew his opinion regarding her and her work, she couldn't deny that even this wouldn't keep her away.

This time things were different though. Lindsay had expected to find Danny sitting at his former place, possibly once again trying to hide in front of her. Instead she noticed a group of young men, teenagers she assumed. In the dimmed light of the slowly setting sun, all she could make out at first were shadows and yelling voices. Despite the fact she knew how dangerous it was, she made her way further into the alley.

Until she realised what was happening in front of her eyes. The teenagers were shouting, egging each other on as they took turns in kicking a person who was cowering on the snowy ground. It didn't take her a second to know who their victim was. It didn't take her a blink to decide what to do.

"Hey!" she screamed, with fast, determined steps making her way over to the small group. "What the hell are you doing there?" She was aware of how risky her idea was and that everyone she knew would call her stupid; what could a petite woman do against a group of aggressive teenagers who didn't hesitate to beat up a helpless person? It was something inside her that was urging her to act and even if she had wanted to, she couldn't stop herself.

"Don't think that's anything of your business, lady," one of the boys shouted back at her. For a moment Lindsay was relieved as they stopped kicking their victim. Instead they turned their attention to her. In the pale light of the alley, she could see the grins plastered over the faces as the teenagers focused on her.

"Pretty dangerous for a pretty girl like you to show up in a lonely place like this, huh?" another one of them asked, winking at her.

"One step closer and I'll scream until the cop I just saw at the corner will hear me," Lindsay replied with forced calm, frenetic thinking of a way to get herself out of this situation again. The barking laughter of the gang echoed through the alley as they fully ignored her words.

"Nice try," one boy said. "Now behave."

Although she was shivering, Lindsay tried to hide her rising fear. Her courageous actions had brought her into danger and she knew she could scream as much as she wanted to; no one would hear her. Not in here.

"You heard what she said," another voice said before she could think of any reply. Once again laughing, the gang turned around to Danny.

"What do you want, you..." the first boy said, stopped though as he saw the lead pipe Danny was holding now. "You kidding? As if you'd get to use that thing before..."

"You want me to prove you wrong?" Danny interrupted him forcefully. "I'm just a homeless guy, no one cares for me. Do you think I wouldn't have a problem with pulling this pipe over your head?"

The teenagers exchanged a glance, thinking about whether the risk was worth it or not. Obviously it wasn't as they flashed Lindsay another glance before they walked past her and hurried out of the alley again. A rush of relief floated through her at the realisation her reckless but courageous interruption had turned out that well. Anyway her heart was still pounding hard in her chest as she turned her attention back to Danny. He had dropped the lead pipe again and had sat down on his mattress.

"You okay?" he asked, the tone in his voice revealing he was actually interested in the answer.

"Yes. Thank you for stepping in," she answered. "How about you? They beat you up pretty badly, are you alright?"

"Sure," he answered shortly. "Couldn't get to my pipe before they were kicking me already." He paused. "You didn't have to do that. No one was expecting that a woman would step up against a group of weirdos."

"Maybe I expected it from myself?" Lindsay asked back.

"Is that so?" Danny wanted to know. "I don't mean to offend you, but even though I believe women can defend themselves, without a weapon and against a group of people who are almost double the size of you, you shouldn't even have thought of opening your mouth."

"Maybe my mind was more focused on the person on the ground than on my fear they could go after me," she commented back.

Danny stared back at her, obviously not knowing what to reply. It was then that Lindsay knew her sudden reaction to the scene in the alley had done more than protected him. She hadn't known what she had been doing until she had found herself facing a group of angry teenagers. The subconscious decision to interfere had shown to him that her former words hadn't been a lie. She wasn't just there to do her job. She had risked her own safety to take care of him. Everyone else would have simply expected her to call for help instead of stepping in herself.

"Still it was a risky decision," he said then, causing Lindsay to smile.

"Don't expect me to apologize," she told him and to her major surprise, a tiny smile lit his face as well. "Are you sure you're fine? That I shouldn't take you to a doctor or to the shelter?"

"I'm fine," he answered, nodding his head to emphasize his words. "Don't worry. Just a couple of bruises, that's all." He sighed. "I promise, alright?"

Lindsay chuckled. "Fine then. And you're sure you want to stay here for the night?"

"Yes," Danny told her. For another moment he was quiet before he added, "Why do you even care? Why do you do that for me? I never asked for anything."

"Sometimes you just don't have to ask for anything," she said. "I told you I'm not doing it for the job. Maybe I have other reasons."

"And what reasons are those?" he wanted to know.

"Think of something," she suggested. Once again she offered him a smile, before she decided that this had been enough of a conversation for the moment. "I'll see you. Have a good night, Danny."

"Wait," he stopped her, causing her to turn around again. "I don't really know your name."

She smiled. "I'm Lindsay."

He nodded. "Nice name. Have a good night as well." He paused again. "And thank you, Lindsay. You know."

"I do," she answered, smiling at him.

As she was walking down the alley, Lindsay knew that there was indeed a reason for her behavior; there were feelings she had for Danny she was actually aware of for quite a while now. And ever so slowly she was starting to accept them.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Yep, I know I'm updating this fic a lot, but it's complete already, so I thought I shouldn't let you wait. I really don't know how to thank you for all the wonderful reviews and the support! Thank you so much, it means a lot to me! Thank you! Thanks also to Hannah554 for betaing! Special thanks to rhymenocerous, afrozenheart412, rapidtetv, SMacked Hard, Dine89, kwirky, pretty7, Jupitor's-Cowgirl (thanks so much for suggesting my fic) and MarsChicka (aww, thank you)!**

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**They hadn't made an agreement and Lindsay didn't know whether Danny would actually follow her suggestion or not. She had offered him to come over and had reassured him that there was nothing wrong with that. There was no way she would force him though. It was his decision, and his decision alone. He had to know what he was doing.

But anyway Lindsay couldn't help the feeling that Danny had been a bit more open when they had met for the last time the day before. So far she had avoided mentioning their little interlude in front of her friends; she knew very well what they would tell her. Her reaction to the gang of teenagers had been reckless and risky and she should be glad she had gotten out of it without being beaten up.

Anyway, she didn't regret any of what she had done. Obviously her instinctive reaction had finally made him understand that indeed she didn't just care for him because it was her job. Her job would have been to call for help, not to step in and turn the danger on herself. She also couldn't deny the fact him defending her after the gang had started to threaten her had been an enjoyable feeling.

"Is there a reason why you're smiling this early in the morning?" Stella interrupted her in her thoughts. Lindsay blushed as she looked up at her friend, knowing she had been caught and that the other woman wouldn't stop questioning her until she knew the reason for the smile. And for the blushing.

"I've just been thinking about something. Nothing special," she answered quickly.

Stella gave her a knowing glance. "You're waiting for someone again?"

Lindsay's face reddened even more. "Have you been talking to Jess?" she asked Stella, earning laughter in response.

"Lindsay, I have eyes as well, you know," her friend answered with a wink. "And I'm not stupid either. I've noticed how your behaviour changes whenever a certain man shows up here. There's nothing wrong with that."

"But he's...well, I'm supposed to do my job here, not to...be interested in people I work with," Lindsay replied, her face red like a tomato now. "This doesn't mean that I...I mean..."

"I got it and you know you're just fooling yourself," Stella said, shaking her head in amusement. "Whatever, Linds. Just keep in mind, you can't do anything against feelings."

With another wink, her friend returned into the kitchen. Lindsay stared at the door of the small room for another couple of moments, thinking about Stella's words before she turned around with a sigh, focusing on work again. There was no time for thinking anymore when the first guests arrived and she had to hand trays with breakfast over again. So busy she was with forcing herself to concentrate that she almost missed how she was closely watched by the last person in the line. She didn't notice him until he was standing right in front of her and she was already holding the tray to hand it over to him. Finding herself staring right into Danny's eyes hadn't been what Lindsay had expected.

"Oh...hey," she said, preventing herself from dropping the food she was still holding.

"Good morning," he greeted, with an unexpected, light smile taking the tray from her. "Thought I could do with some breakfast today. Threatening to beat people up makes me hungry."

Surprised by the almost light hearted way he was talking to her without her having to spend hours convincing him she didn't have the intention to manipulate him, she smiled back at him. "I'm glad you came over. I think Stella did amazing work with this one."

"The food always is good here," he answered. Instead of simply taking the tray and heading over to one of the tables like he usually did, Danny stayed for a moment. He studied her for a couple of moments, making Lindsay wonder what was going on in his mind which she still wished to be able to read. She was more than surprised by the sudden change of interaction between them. Still there was this distance he continued creating between himself and everyone else, her included. But his eyes revealed something had changed and she was curious to know what this was.

"Are you alright?" Danny asked then.

"Sure, why do you ask?" Lindsay wanted to know.

"Because of yesterday," he explained. "Those guys were kinda rude."

"Oh, don't worry, that wasn't the first time I dealt with people like that," she answered quickly. She couldn't deny the sudden warmth that started to build inside her at his question; once again something she hadn't expected. "But how about you? They attacked you, are you sure it's just a few bruises?"

"Yeah, I'm good," he answered with a tiny reassuring smile. "Nothing's hurting anymore. That's the advantage of all those clothes."

"I see." Lindsay nodded.

Once again Danny offered her a light smile, pointing at his breakfast. "I think I should eat that now before it gets cold. Would be a shame."

"Absolutely," Lindsay agreed. She watched Danny as he walked over to one of the long tables and sat down. She had no idea whether he would show up more often from now on or not, but she couldn't help the hope he would.

* * *

When Lindsay had hoped that Danny would visit the shelter more often, she hadn't expected how right she had been. Whatever had changed his mind had made him come over for at least one meal a day. Still he didn't stay for the nights but it was a good start.

Soon though, Lindsay found herself being worried because of him again. Like it was normal for New York in winter, it had started to snow and according to the news, the snow would increase. So would the cold. And imagining he was staying in the cold was not something that left her unaffected.

Her concern got stronger when even for breakfast he didn't show up. Of course Lindsay knew it was still Danny's decision whether he wanted to visit the shelter or not. The thought of him out in the cold with no food was pushing itself into her mind over and over again and more and more it was controlling her, making it hard for her to focus.

Until late evening she attempted to concentrate on what she was supposed to do. But when Danny had still not shown up like she had hoped to, Lindsay couldn't stand it any longer. Excusing herself, she grabbed her coat and quickly left the shelter, with a clear target. Pulling the cap of her coat over her head to protect herself from the falling snow and wrapping the thick fabric even tighter around herself to not be exposed to the icy wind, she made her way over to the now all too familiar alley.

Snow was covering the street, making it difficult to walk. There was no sunshine left anymore as thick, dark clouds were covering the sky. Snowflakes were no longer dancing in the air as an ice cold wind was constantly blowing them into Lindsay's face. Almost grateful she was as she could leave the street and disappear into the much slimmer alley. Which didn't mean she was protected from the cold or the snowfall.

And Danny wasn't either. Like expected, she found him cowering next to the stack of boxes on his mattress, mostly covered by his blanket. She doubted said blanket and his layers of clothes were offering any proper kind of warmth. He looked up as he heard someone approaching and she found him gazing at her in surprise.

"Hey," she greeted him, trying to hide that those few minutes she was out in the cold were already enough to make her freeze.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. This time though his voice was no longer trying to tell her to go away like it had been meant to all those times before. He was truly surprised by her presence and the fact he didn't greet her with rejection was relieving her.

"Do you want me to tell you a long story or be honest right away?" Lindsay asked back. During those days since he had decided to pay the shelter his short but constant visits, there had been moments when they had spoken with each other and the former distance and tension between them had eased a lot. He was accepting her, even if he wasn't trusting in her yet.

"Why are you really here?" Danny repeated his question.

She made a small nod up into the air. "I think you noticed that something like a blizzard might come up here sooner or later. It's freezing cold and no matter what you want to make me believe, I doubt you're feeling anything close to warm. I also wondered why you didn't come over to the shelter today."

"I wasn't hungry," was his short answer. She didn't need a lie detector to know he wasn't telling the truth.

"Was it so cold you didn't dare to move?" Lindsay wanted to know. "Or were you worried I'd ask you to stay at the shelter for the night?" Once again she didn't need an answer to know she had perfectly read his mind. She sighed lightly. "Why are you against that so much? It already took you ages to come over for food regularly. Why can't you stay for the night? At least for those when it's freezing like this? What's so wrong with that?"

"There's nothing wrong with that," Danny answered, wrapping his blanket a bit tighter around himself. "It's just not made for me. It's for those who really need it."

"You're shivering," Lindsay stated. "Don't tell me you need it."

"I don't need it," he said, with more force this time. "It was my own fault I got into this situation in the first place. There are people who aren't to blame for what happened to them and those deserve to get a bed in your shelter. I don't count as one of them."

"Is that so?" Lindsay asked back. Ever so slowly she started to understand. "I have no idea what happened to you and I won't force you to tell me about it. But do you really believe that when people end up in the streets they don't have the right to take any help? You think someone who made a mistake and lost his home has to starve and freeze because they don't deserve any better? Is that what you want to tell me?"

She paused for a moment to allow him to reply. When she didn't get any response though, she continued, "I've been working at this shelter for years. I've gotten to hear many stories. And one thing you can believe is everyone deserves help. Everyone deserves a second chance."

"I didn't say people don't deserve a second chance or help when they got themselves into such a situation. Like those you're working with. All of them deserve your help," Danny answered. "I didn't mean it like you just told me."

"Then it's in fact only you who doesn't deserve any help, right?" Lindsay asked him. Once again Danny didn't answer and once again his silence told her more than words.

"How can you believe you have to push every helping hand away?" she wanted to know, kneeling, sitting down on the mattress next to him. "You just said you think that even if people made a mistake that brought them into a difficult situation or not, they all deserve all the help they can get, right?" When he nodded, she added, "Then why not you? Why not? Is that some kind of self punishment? You did a mistake and now you punish yourself with refusing any help? Danny, no one is perfect. We all have our mistakes and when you can accept that when it comes to others, you should do the same with yourself."

Watching him, she could see the expression in his eyes changing. She knew the risk was high that the old distance between them would return. But she couldn't leave him with such thoughts in mind. With thoughts that seemed to stop his rational mind and make him rather suffer than make the step and ask for help.

"You know what," Lindsay said then, new determination in her voice as she got up. "You can contradict as much as you want, you'll come with me now. There's no way I'll let you stay out here tonight."

"And what if I say no?" Danny asked back. "I doubt you can carry me over to the shelter."

"No, I can't," she agreed. "But I can be as stubborn as you. If you don't come with me, I'll stay out here as well. And don't believe I wouldn't do it."

Danny rolled his eyes. "Why do you even bother to do that? Why would you freeze out here to get me to your shelter?"

"Just accept the fact I care for you," she stated simply, refusing to go into further detail. "And now get up or I'll sit down again and stay here as well. I'm not afraid to sleep here, don't worry."

Danny stared back at her for a moment, debating whether Lindsay was being honest or not. Endlessly long moments passed and almost she was sure she hadn't convinced him when he sighed and to her surprise and relief got up.

"Fine then," he said. "But only for this night."

"Sure," she answered, with a satisfied smile grabbing his arm.

And although Danny tried to make her believe he was still not willing to take her offers, Lindsay knew that this night would just be the start. Slowly, ever so slowly, she would make him understand that he deserved support, like everyone else.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I think it's time for a new chapter! ;) And for some answers. I'm so happy you still like the fic! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! Thanks to Hannah554 for betaing! Special thanks to rhymenocerous, rapidtetv, afrozenheart412, Dine89, pretty7 and Jupitor's-Cowgirl!**

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**The apartment was dark and quiet. Everything was peaceful, yet Lindsay couldn't fall asleep again. A couple of times she had woken up again, every time realising that she hadn't been sleeping for more than a few minutes. Now she was fully awake and nothing could change it that easily.

Despite all her expectations, Lindsay had managed to convince Danny that staying at the shelter was the best option with the icy weather outside. Obviously somewhere along the line he had stopped doubting her intentions and had carefully started to believe her that she was truly interested in him and in helping him. He had accepted her explanations about the weather being too cold for a night out and indeed willingly had followed her to the shelter.

Although she was relieved, she couldn't easily go to bed and sleep though. Still Danny was spinning in her mind and Lindsay couldn't do anything against her thoughts keeping her awake and constantly drifting to the man.

Something had happened to him she didn't know about yet. Usually she didn't push the visitors of the shelter to talk about their past and about what had brought them into the situation they were in. It was their decision if they wanted to share their stories or not. For Lindsay Danny was no exception. If he felt the wish to talk, he could. If not, it was fine as well.

Anyway Lindsay couldn't deny she wished he would decide to come to her. Not because of curiosity. Something was connecting her to this man and she wished to intensify this. Her friends were right; there was nothing she could do against feelings, no matter whether she understood where they were coming from or not.

With a sigh, she freed herself of her blanket and got up. It was still too early to get up, but she knew she wouldn't fall asleep any time soon. Restless, she wandered through her apartment until she stopped at her large living room window.

It was dark, this time there was no single star to be seen. The skyline of Manhattan was hidden by the huge amount of snow that was falling. Lindsay could imagine how cold it had to be outside at this point and more than ever she was glad she had gotten through to Danny to make him go to the shelter.

Once again Lindsay glanced at her alarm clock. There was no sense in forcing herself to stay at home. So she made her way over to her bathroom, to get ready for work, hoping that Danny hadn't changed his mind and had stayed at the shelter.

* * *

Due to the blizzard that had taken control over the city during the past night, it took Lindsay double the time she usually needed to get to the shelter. Arriving there, she was glad to leave the cold outside. Thanks to her delay, she arrived just in time when the other visitors were about to get up and get ready for breakfast.

"Good morning," Stella, who was standing at the counter, waiting for the first requests for breakfast, greeted her. "You look like you've been caught right in the middle of the blizzard."

"Yeah, it seems to only increase," Lindsay said, stripping of her coat. Instinctively she let her eyes wander through the room, searching for Danny. It didn't stay unnoticed by Stella.

"He stayed here," she told Lindsay when she turned her attention back to her friend. "I checked a few times, he didn't leave the shelter again. I guess he might be still asleep. Doesn't surprise me though. I guess it's the first time in quite a while that he actually had a good night."

Those words were what she had been hoping for. A relieved smile appeared on Lindsay's face as she nodded. There was no need to hide this in front of Stella; both of her friends seemed to know what she was thinking and feeling even longer than she knew herself.

So it was no topic up to discussion when Lindsay headed over to the room with the beds. Like Stella had said, Danny was still lying in one of them. The sight of the sleeping man cause a new, calm and warm feeling to rise inside her. He had listened to her advice. He had allowed her to help him, which meant a lot when one thought about the fact he wasn't loving it.

Carefully and quietly she made her way over to the bed. Once again she was grateful that she hadn't backed off, hadn't accepted his wish to not take any help from anyone. Now he was at the shelter, safe and warm and she didn't have to worry.

She sat down on the bed across of him, watching him in silence. So peaceful he looked like all worries were miles away. It was a sight that caused her to relax as well. Anyway she knew he was nowhere close to fully letting her in yet.

Lindsay didn't notice how minutes passed and she kept on watching him until he squirmed lightly. He blinked a few times before he opened his eyes slowly, right glancing up at her. She couldn't help but blush lightly as she felt herself being caught while staring at him.

"Hey," he greeted her with his voice thick of sleep. "You sitting there for a while?"

"Just a few minutes," she answered honestly. "I thought I could check if you kept your promise and stayed here." A bit worried she was about his reaction to her statement. To her surprise he smiled in response though.

"You thought I was lying?" he asked, slowly sitting up. "I might be stubborn, but I'm not a liar."

Lindsay nodded. "And how are you feeling now? Do you think it was a good idea to stay here for the night?"

"Better than sleeping in the middle of a blizzard I guess," he said, shrugging.

Lindsay sighed playfully. "It's hard for you to admit someone's right?"

"Sometimes?" Danny replied.

Lindsay chuckled. "I'm glad you decided to stay here," she said then. "I know you have a different opinion. But you agreed with me that everyone deserves a second chance and help. That counts for you as well." She studied his face for a moment. "You don't seem to be convinced by that."

"I think it's my own fault I got myself into this situation, so why should anyone else take the responsibility for that?" he asked back.

"Who says others are taking the responsibility for you?" Lindsay wanted to know. "We're just offering some help so you'd have it easier to either deal with your situation or get yourself a new home. You still have the responsibility for what you did." She paused. "I know it's not my business and you don't have to tell me anything. But I wonder why you believe that you deserve sleeping in the cold, having no food for days."

Closely she watched Danny as he stared back at her for a moment before he glanced down at his hands that were clenching together in his lap. Her statement wouldn't force him into saying something he didn't feel comfortable with; if someone knew not to do something he didn't feel well with, it was Danny.

"You wanna hear what happened, right?" He looked back up at her, focusing his eyes on hers. "Why don't you just ask? Or is your job not allowing that? I thought you weren't talking to me as a social worker."

"I'm not," Lindsay answered. "I just don't want you to feel like you have to talk to me. Like as if I'd force you into a conversation to analyse you or anything."

He gave her a half smile. "I don't, no worries."

"Then would you tell me what happened?" she asked like requested. "Why do you believe you don't deserve help?"

"Because I couldn't give help when it was needed either," Danny answered. Within a second his voice seemed to change and the bitter tone in it caused Lindsay to wince. Once again he broke the eye contact as he started to share his story with her.

"I have a brother, you know," he explained to her. "Three years older than me, but you wouldn't believe he's actually the older one of us two. Since I can think he's had a talent to get himself into trouble. Mostly he got involved with the wrong people. This went on until he got too close to a gang and became a member of them. I knew they meant no good for him and I tried to talk him out of his idea to join them. It didn't work though. You think I'm stubborn? Nothing compared to him. He joined the gang and ever since then kept me on arm's length."

Danny paused, sighing softly as the memories of his brother found their way back into his mind. Lindsay watched him closely, not saying a word. There was more to this story, so much she could feel. It took him barely a couple of minutes until he continued his explanation.

"I should have tried more," he told her, shaking his head as his hands clenched into fists in frustration. "I knew he was a trouble maker and I knew how dangerous this gang was. I should have tried to step in over and over again. I shouldn't have allowed him to create this distance between us. I could have saved him maybe."

The expression in his eyes seemed to get more and more painful with every passing moment. Lindsay almost felt the urge to make him stop, preventing him from sharing something with her that seemed to pain him so much. He seemed to want to share his story with her though.

"What happened to him?" she asked softly.

Danny's expression got more serious, if possible. "This gang did more than the usual crap. They killed someone and my brother got involved into that. He was together with them when they shot the person. My brother got arrested as well. And I couldn't do anything to get him out of there again. He got arrested for murder and I didn't do anything to prevent that from happening."

"But what could you have done?" Lindsay wanted to know. "You tried to talk him out of it. But after all it was his decision to join this gang. It was also his decision to be together with them when they killed this person. See, I can understand you feel responsible for your brother and from what you tell me, it seems like you always somehow tried to protect him. But at some point there isn't much you can do anymore. You can only give some advice. What they do with it is their decision."

"I know that, okay? It's not that easy though," Danny answered. "But it's easier said than done. I know he's old enough to decide for himself, but obviously he couldn't do that." He paused for another moment before he added, "Let me guess, now you wanna know why that caused me to end up homeless?"

His voice was supposed to sound cold, his eyes revealed though that despite himself, Danny was grateful for a person who was listening to him.

"If you want to tell me, do that," she answered simply.

Danny glanced back at her for a couple of moments, debating with himself. "I think I just...somehow couldn't take it anymore," he said then, his voice quieter than before. "I was blaming myself, I could hardly focus on anything anymore other than on my brother. I could barely do my job, which is why I lost it. I didn't manage to find a new one, I couldn't even get the motivation to look for one. That way I also lost my apartment. The rest you should know by now." He gave her a weary smile. "You get it now? It's my own fault. I didn't help my brother. I couldn't handle what happened to him."

Lindsay looked back at the man in front of her for a while, processing what she had heard from him. Danny was gazing back at her and although he tried to hide it, revealing he was waiting for any kind of a reaction.

"I'm sorry, but I don't agree with you," she stated then. "Stories like that are examples for what brings people into a situation like yours. I know you might see it differently, but you aren't to blame for what happened to your brother. That it affected you in a way like this is more than understandable. I hope one day I can convince you."

Danny didn't reply to that. Instead he kept on looking back at Lindsay and once again she wished she could read his mind. She was aware of the fact that making him believe he wasn't to blame for what happened to his older brother would be a long and rocky path. More than ever though she was convinced that it was worth it.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Wow, it's time for an update I think! Thanks so much to everyone for reading and reviewing! Thanks also to the sweet Hannah554 for betaing! Special thanks to SMacked Hard, StrawberryFlavoredDeath, Vampire's suck. It's a fact, afrozenheart412, rapidtetv, madmush, rhymenocerous, Dine89 and pretty7!**

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**When Lindsay had taken Danny to the shelter so he could sleep there and when she had talked to him about his past and his reasons for his actions, she hadn't had any expectations that he would change for her. After all it was his decision and she wouldn't force him into anything he wouldn't feel comfortable with.

Obviously something inside him had changed though. All of a sudden Danny showed up at the shelter every day for at least a meal and when Lindsay appeared at his place in the alley, she didn't have to convince him to come with her to stay at it for the night.

Lindsay wasn't sure why Danny had changed his opinion and was now accepting the help she was offering. It was a good change though and she was grateful for whatever had changed his mind.

She also had to admit that she was more than relieved about his decision as well. During the week, the weather hadn't gotten better, instead it seemed to get worse with every day. The city was covered in a thick layer of snow, the sidewalks and streets were icy and neither walking nor driving was really an option as both were dangerous.

Sleeping outside during those temperatures though was topping all of that and Lindsay didn't dare to imagine it. From back home she knew that people who got hurt during hiking in the icy mountains should try their best to stay awake to not cool out. She assumed that sleeping without any protection against wind, snow and everything else the city had to offer lately would be just as bad.

So knowing that Danny was staying at the shelter over night was something she was glad about and she hoped he wouldn't change his mind again for whatever reason. He wasn't predictable and every day Lindsay wondered how he would react to her next. So far she seemed to have earned enough trust to be sure he wouldn't push her away as far as he did at the beginning.

This didn't change the fact though that Lindsay had realised her friends had been more right than she had wished them to be. Still she had problems with accepting that her relief about Danny's unexpected trust in her was coming from more than the fact that he was safe at the shelter. Especially during their conversations she could feel a connection that was slowly building between them and so far she wasn't sure how to handle this.

Another morning had started and once again Lindsay was standing at the shelter's counter, handing trays with breakfast to the visitors. Like it was a reflex, a smile lit Lindsay's face when she found Danny at the end of the line. She knew that this behaviour meant he would exchange a couple of words with her; another little tradition that had started. So far he still refused to talk to others, but she could understand him in some ways. One conversation wouldn't change the way the man was feeling about himself. It took time. Getting rid of the false belief that people would either judge him or use him was a work in progress and he was making good steps into the right direction.

"Morning," he greeted her, offering a little smile.

"Good morning," Lindsay answered with a bright smile of her own. "Did you have a good night?"

"How could I not?" Danny replied. "Compared to my old mattress, those beds are like paradise. I slept like a baby and I wasn't freezing when I woke up." He raised his eyebrows at the look she gave him. "What?"

"Nothing," she said with her smile widening. "You're joking, I love to see that. I never saw you joke before."

Danny chuckled lightly. "Seems like your idea with having food regularly and having a bed to sleep in was a good one."

"I'm glad to hear that," Lindsay replied. An unfamiliar warmth started to spread inside her at his words. His distant behaviour towards others seemed to ease and it was wonderful to witness. "So...do you have any plans for this day?"

"I was thinking about going to Central Park," he said.

"In the park?" Once again Lindsay raised her eyebrows at his words. "It's still snowing out there, do you think it's a good idea to do that?"

"You're a little too worried because of me," Danny said, giving her a look that caused her cheeks to flush lightly. "Don't worry, alright? I'll just go for a walk a bit and then will come over. You don't have to pick me up."

"Alright, fine," she answered, cursing herself for blushing. "I was just wondering, I mean most people would stay at home."

Danny smiled. "Well, I'm different than most people. I think walks are the best way to clear your head. No matter how the weather is."

"Maybe then I should join you one day, and see whether it works or not," Lindsay suggested before she knew what she was actually saying.

"Sure, just let me know when," he said simply. Taking the tray from her, he gave her another nod before he walked over to the nearest table.

Lindsay remained standing behind her counter, watching Danny thoughtfully. Once more she could feel the connection between them and the fact she was worried by things he should be able to decide on his own made her wonder what exactly she was really thinking about him.

* * *

The day had been busy and with everything she had to do, Lindsay barely noticed how quickly the time had passed. When she found the time to sit down for a moment and have a mug of the delicious tea Stella had made for her and Jess earlier, she glanced at her watch, in surprise noticing it was getting late evening already.

Late evening. Instinctively, Lindsay looked out of the small window of the kitchen. It was snowing again which she assumed was the reason why the shelter was so busy already. Concern started to rise inside her as she took another sip of the warm liquid, shuddering at the thought of the blizzard she knew was awaiting them for the night.

"Are you alright?" Stella, who hadn't missed the thoughtful look of her friend, asked.

Lindsay nodded slowly. She got up and stepped over to the door that was separating the kitchen from the large room where a lot of people were sitting around the tables, chatting and warming up after being out in the icy cold. A sick feeling she could feel in the pit of her stomach as she realised one certain person hadn't shown up yet.

"Doesn't seem like you're alright," Stella answered. She had stepped next to Lindsay, watching her with a knowing look. She knew lying wouldn't work with Stella.

"I'm just wondering why Danny didn't show up here yet," she admitted. "He said he wanted to go for a walk in Central Park and wanted to come back to the shelter in the evening. I wonder why he's not here yet." She sighed at the look Stella gave her. "What?"

"You're a little too worried, don't you think?" Stella asked.

"You sound like him," Lindsay replied, earning another smile from her friend.

"Well, I think other than him I know why you're so worried though. That's at least what I assume," the older woman said. "Maybe he decided to go somewhere else. I'm sure he'll arrive here soon."

"And what if he doesn't?" Lindsay asked back. "What if he got stubborn again all of a sudden and decided he doesn't want to sleep here anymore? Or what if something happened to him?"

Stella's eyebrows raised lightly. "So you really want me to believe that you don't have a special interest in him? I know you always are worried because of everyone who visits this shelter and that you wonder if people are fine when they don't come over for a while. But with him...I know you don't want to believe me, but I think he means a lot more to you than you want to admit."

"I really don't have the nerves to talk about something like that now," Lindsay answered firmly. "You see that blizzard out there?"

"Then if you're so worried, why don't you go looking for him?" Stella suggested. "Take your phone with you. I'll stay here, I think I can do that alone for now until Jess shows up. If he arrives here, I'll call you. I'm sure everything's fine." She chuckled at Lindsay's surprised expression. "Come on, hurry up, kiddo. It's fine."

"Thank you, Stella," Lindsay answered gratefully. "I owe you."

Stella laughed. "Don't worry about that."

A few minutes later, Lindsay had left the shelter. Immediately she was greeted by an icy wind, snowflakes hitting hard into her face and she had to cover herself with the scarf and hat of her coat as good as possible. She walked quickly, knowing that it wouldn't warm her up anyway.

Her first goal was the alley. Lindsay dearly hoped that Danny hadn't changed his mind again all of a sudden. For a while now their relationship had progressed from being cold and distant to a certain kind of trust. With an unpredictable and stubborn person like him though this could mean everything and nothing. Things could get closer between them in no time. Things could also turn back to how they had been at the beginning. She hoped that the latter wouldn't be the truth, but she couldn't know it for sure and just the possibility of him pulling back again caused her to walk faster.

When she reached the alley though, she wasn't sure whether to be relieved or even more concerned at the realisation he wasn't sitting on his mattress like he had all those days before. Instead the alley was empty, nothing indicated he had been around any time earlier.

Resting her hands on her hips, Lindsay released a deep sigh as she let her eyes travel down the alley, back to the street where she had come from. So far Stella hadn't called which meant he hadn't shown up at the shelter yet. Of course Danny could indeed be somewhere else; the city was big and he could be anywhere. After all he didn't have to tell her where he was going to.

But Lindsay's instinct was telling her something different. And so, while the blizzard was constantly increasing, she headed down the alley, almost running now, another goal in mind.

* * *

Nobody was to be found in Central Park when Lindsay was hurrying along the paths that couldn't to be seen anymore due to the thick layer of snow. She could barely see further than a few feet and she knew that being in Central Park at such a late hour with no protection and with no one around was highly dangerous.

With her heart pounding hard in her chest though, she didn't care. The risk of the situation was nothing she could currently think of. There was only one thought replaying in her mind over and over again. She had to find him.

Lindsay had no idea where in Central Park Danny could be or if he was there in the first place. Her rational mind was telling her how stupid and dangerous her idea was and that the chances she would actually find him were practically non-existent. He could be anywhere in the city and she wasn't supposed to be at this place, Stella and Jess would have a serious talk with her about her foolish actions.

But she couldn't help it. She was afraid. Afraid because she feared something could have happened to him. Once again she heard her friends telling her what they believed was the reason why she was getting herself into this dangerous situation for him. Because he meant more to her than she was willing to admit.

Currently she didn't care whether her friends were right or not or which motives she had. Only one thought had space in her mind. The man she needed to find, no matter how. And her instinct would lead her to him.

Lindsay had always trusted in her inner voice. It had made her decide to study, it had made her apply for her job in New York. So far it had never betrayed her and she firmly believed that this time would be no exception.

Faster and faster she was walking, panting heavily due to exhaustion and the incredible cold. She could barely feel her feet anymore; her face seemed to be frozen but her eyes were filled with determination that kept her running.

And then she saw it. In the far distance, near a bench that was hidden under a tall tree, she found a bump partly covered by snow. Without wasting a second with hesitation, she ran over to it, from the distance already seeing that said bump was a human body, curled up at the bottom of the tree. Her heart was racing when she reached the person and knelt down. Hastily she wiped the snow away with her frozen fingers, not at all surprised when she realised she knew the person.

"Danny!" she shouted, gently cupping his face with her hands although she knew she couldn't warm him either. "Danny, can you hear me? It's Lindsay!"

She pressed her index finger against his pulse point at his neck, relieved that she could still feel something. Gently she shook his body, continuing to shout his name. Endlessly long minutes seemed to pass until she heard a soft sigh coming from him and his eyes squeezed shut even more as consciousness was returning to him. It took him another few minutes until he could open his eyes after a few blinks and look up at her.

"Hey," she whispered, a rush of relief spreading through her. So much she wanted to say, wanted to ask. Seeing the way he was shivering violently at the cold he was suffering from made her push them aside. "Come on, I think we need to warm you up as quickly as possible. Can you get up?"

Carefully, she wrapped her arms around his snow covered, stiff body, helping him first into a sitting and then into a standing position. She needed all her strength to keep his freezing, exhausted body standing and prevent him from falling again.

"We should take you to a hospital," she told him as they slowly made their way back to the path.

"No...no...hospital," he managed to whisper. "Please."

Gazing up at him, Lindsay found Danny staring down at her. Still he was shivering, but his eyes were pleading with hers. She had no idea what had happened but the look in his eyes made it impossible for her to resist his wish.

"Can we agree on a compromise then?" she wanted to know. "May I take you to my place and we'll try to warm you up, I'll take your temperature and see what we can do? And if it doesn't work, I'll call a doctor?"

Danny nodded in response, Lindsay didn't need anything more. She wasn't sure whether her idea was good or not and she was determined to do what she had told him if she realised warming him up at home wouldn't work. She would try her best though and for now she was glad she had managed to find him. And could take care of him.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Here is a new chapter for you! Thank you so much to everyone for reading and reviewing and for adding this fic! Huge thanks to Hannah554 for betaing! Special thanks to madmush, DL-Flangell-N-MiamiBound, StrawberryFlavoredDeath, rapidtetv, afrozenheart412, rhymenocerous, Dine89 and SMacked Hard!**

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* * *

**A night of storm and snow had taken turns with a clear sky and the first sunrays that were finding their way into Lindsay's apartment. She was woken up by the warmth on her face. Blinking a few times, she managed to open her eyes. It took her a few moments to remember where she was and what had happened. Then realisation hit her.

Rubbing her eyes, Lindsay sat up on the chair she had been sitting on all night. Obviously she had fallen asleep for a few minutes, which was no surprise as she had been awake all night, checking on Danny every few minutes.

Once again, Lindsay turned her full attention to the sleeping man in her bed. It had taken her a lot of strength to get him to her apartment. It wasn't far away from where she had found him in Central Park, but freezing and completely exhausted, he had barely been able to walk on his own.

Somehow Lindsay had managed to take Danny back to her place though. She had still been unsure if her decision to follow his wish had been right. She should have taken him to the hospital as she had no idea how bad his shape really was. She couldn't force him though and so she had agreed to listen to him, glad that at least he had accepted her help.

After a warm bath, she had managed to put him into her bed and had wrapped him into layers of blankets to make sure he would warm up again. Due to his exhaustion, Danny had soon fallen asleep.

For Lindsay, sleep had been no option though. Instead she had stayed by his side, had constantly checked his temperature and had made sure he stayed warm and calm.

Somewhere along the line she must have fallen asleep. Briefly she felt guilt rising inside her at the thought that she hadn't been able to stay awake. She knew she couldn't fight her body though and so pushed the feeling aside to focus on the man who needed her now.

Once again she checked his temperature, relieved to find it had gotten back to normal completely now. She couldn't help the soft smile that lit her face at the sight of Danny, looking so relaxed, even more than he had in the shelter. And just then she caught herself wondering about how relieved she would be if he stayed at her place.

Gently, she ran her fingertips over his now warm cheeks. The loving touch was enough for him to wake up. He stirred lightly before he opened his eyes slowly and glanced up at her. Once again she felt a rush of relief spreading through her. As much as she was trying to, she couldn't deny that those feelings that connected her to him were getting stronger with every day.

"Hey," Lindsay greeted him softly. She pulled her hand away from his face but didn't make any attempt at getting up from the bed again. It felt good to sit next to him and an instinct which she didn't dare to analyse was keeping her by his side. "How are you feeling now?"

"Better," Danny answered. His quiet voice was revealing to her he was still suffering from exhaustion. "At least I'm no longer feeling like I got lost in Antarctica."

Lindsay chuckled at his words. "At least you're getting your sense of humour back. Seems like you're getting better."

Danny nodded. "Like I said, I didn't need to go to the hospital."

"Yes." Lindsay watched him in silence for a moment. She was glad he was doing better. Still the fact he had gotten himself into such a situation and the imagination of what could have happened if she hadn't found him caused shivers to run down her spine.

"What have you been doing out there in this weather?" she couldn't help but ask.

Danny glanced back at her and to her major surprise, his cheeks flushed lightly. "I just needed to clear my mind a bit," he admitted. "I don't mind the cold and I've been sitting at this tree for a while. Looks like I'd fallen asleep."

"Is that all?" she asked.

Danny only looked back at her in silence. Like so many times before, Lindsay wondered what he was thinking about and wished she could have just a tiny look into his mind when he suddenly released a light sigh and moved to get up.

"I think I should go now," he said.

"What?" In disbelief, Lindsay stared at him. "Hey, stop." Gently she kept him in place by holding him down at his shoulders, forcing him to lock eyes with her again. "Why should you go? No one said that. You might feel better but you're still not good. You need to rest and I think you shouldn't be out there at the moment."

"So you want me to stay at your place, in your bed?" Danny asked back. "You've know me for what...a few weeks? You've only talked to me a few times. You have no idea who I am. I could be a brutal serial killer."

Lindsay sighed at his words. In fact she wasn't even surprised by his sudden reaction. He was doing what she knew from him already; pushing her away. The reasons for that she could only imagine and they didn't matter either. Something inside him had decided that he had allowed her to get too close to him. Usually she would allow people she worked with to do that, with him it was differently though. She had made huge steps that had crossed the line between work and her private life. There were feelings for him she could no longer ignore. She wouldn't let him back off again.

"You'll stay here," she said with all the determination she could gain. "I don't know what exactly made you think you have to convince me that you staying here is a bad idea but you didn't succeed with it. I offered you support and by now you should know I don't take that back. You seem to be too stubborn to accept the fact that someone actually cares for you. I could just let you do that but I won't. You told me that you believe that you don't deserve help. If that's still your opinion, I have to make you believe that you're wrong even more."

"And what if I don't want any help?" he asked back.

"You don't want any help?" Lindsay raised her eyebrows. "Then why did you come to the shelter? Why did you allow me to take you to my place? You never said you don't want help. All you did was tell me that you believe you don't deserve it. Do you still think that you don't deserve any help because you couldn't step in when your brother got himself into trouble?"

Lindsay paused, allowing Danny a chance to respond, but all he did was stare at her in silence. She sighed once more. "You know my opinion about that. I don't believe you did anything wrong. You couldn't stop him, he had to decide for himself. You tried everything you could, as hard as it is to accept that. I know I can repeat that over and over again and you won't believe me, but if you don't want to understand that you couldn't have done anything different, can't you try to forgive yourself? You can't stay hateful like that forever. This won't get your brother out of prison and I doubt he'd want that either. He would surely agree with me. Or at least he would tell you that you should forgive yourself, because you can't continue like that."

For another couple of moments, Danny kept on staring at her. Almost Lindsay felt the urge to ask him for a comment in response, but this time he spoke himself.

"I still don't get why you're doing that for me," he said. "What for?"

"What for?" Lindsay groaned lightly. "I think I told you so already. This is not because of my job, for some reason I feel like there's something connecting us. I have no idea what it is but I care for you, more than I ever planned to do. I want to make you understand that what happened with your brother wasn't your fault and if I can't make that happen I at least want you to forgive yourself so you stop that damn hate. You're a good person, I can feel that. The fact you care for your brother so much and tried to help him so badly shows that to me. It's hard to accept when you don't have control over something but in this case you couldn't have done anything."

"Then if you can't always control everything," Danny replied. "Why do you keep on convincing me that I should accept help and forgive myself? Why don't you just accept that you can't help me?"

"That's a good point," Lindsay admitted. "But other than your brother, you allowed me to help you a bit already. You came to the shelter more regularly. You started to talk to me. I know, maybe I should follow my own advice but you accepted me around you, there were times where you didn't just push me away. You showed to me that you're willing to change your situation. You just keep on falling back into your old behavior and I won't back off and let you continue doing that. No matter how much work that requires."

Once again Lindsay paused. There was more she had to say and a bit she was hesitating. In Danny's eyes she could see his expression had changed though and she realised that slowly, ever so slowly, she was getting through to him again. She only had to keep going, even if this meant she revealed more of herself than she had formerly planned.

"You mean a lot to me," she admitted then. "I don't know what you're thinking about that, but I can't deny it. I can't explain it either. I feel like there's some kind of a connection between us and all I want is that you stop torturing yourself."

Although Lindsay hadn't exactly explained what she was feeling for Danny, his expression that was once again changing, told her that he had understood.

"Then when you plan on helping me," he said after endlessly long minutes of silence. "What do you want me to do?"

A rush of excitement filled Lindsay at his words. So badly she had hoped for such a reaction from this man who was such an important part of her heart. Once again she could read his eyes perfectly and they told her he was willing to accept what she would ask of him. Lindsay couldn't tell for sure why he suddenly had changed his mind again, just needing her to say a few honest words to him. It also didn't matter to her. Something in her mind was telling her that the connection they shared wasn't one sided, but currently her main focus was on offering him support.

"Are you willing to change your current situation?" she wanted to know. "Would you like to get an apartment and a job again?"

"I don't really know how that could be possible," he admitted.

"Is that what you want or not?" Lindsay asked again.

Danny thought about her question for a couple of moments before he shrugged. "I guess so, better than freezing on a mattress maybe."

It was meant to sound like a sarcastic comment, but Lindsay could feel the truth behind Danny's words. She believed that a few people willingly chose to live in the streets, wishing to be independent. It was their decision. It hadn't been Danny's decision to get into that though.

"Do you trust in me enough to let me offer you support while you make all that happen?" she asked him.

"I think otherwise I wouldn't be lying in your bed," he answered simply.

It was all Lindsay wanted to hear from Danny. She wouldn't get him a job and apartment without him needing to do anything for it. She would be by his side though, offering him the needed encouragement, and she had no doubt that they both would be successful.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I know I'm quick with the updates now, but the fic is finished so long now and I finally want to give you all the chapters. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! Thanks to Hannah554 for betaing! Special thanks to DL-Flangell-N-MiamiBound, rapidtetv, Dine89 and afrozenheart412!**

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* * *

**A week later:

There was a lot Lindsay could handle. Stress for example. No matter how much she had to do in which period of time, she could do it. When others were close to freaking out, she was still calm, at least to the outside. Stress didn't get to her.

But excitement did. Even when something wasn't about her. She felt for others and when they were excited, so was she.

And Lindsay knew Danny was excited, although he would never admit it. Not even to himself.

A week had passed since the night in which she had found him in Central Park, half frozen, and had taken him to her place to warm him up again. To her relief following his wish to not go to a hospital hadn't been a mistake as he had felt better the next morning again already.

But obviously what had been a frightening night for her had been an enlightening night for him.

So many times Lindsay had tried to open Danny's eyes. From her work experience she knew that no person could be forced to follow a certain lifestyle, except they were seriously damaging either themselves or others. Sometimes people chose unconventional ways to live their lives and they had the right to do so. Many times Lindsay had offered all the different options they had to the visitors of the shelter. Some had taken this help, some had taken some extra support. Some had decided that their life in the streets was what they wanted.

It had been something she had to accept, even if this had been difficult for her at first. It was hard to understand people's choices sometimes, but she had learnt that not everything she agreed with was wrong for others as well.

When she had met Danny though, Lindsay had felt that he didn't count to those who had accepted his life as a homeless man. She didn't know whether it was due to her work experience or to the fact she had been watching him closely for whatever reasons, but she had soon felt that there was more behind his behaviour than he would admit.

She had been right. Little hints he had dropped until after this one night he had revealed to her that he was no longer refusing the help she was offering to him. Of course Lindsay hadn't simply taken his future into her hands and had done everything that needed to be done for him. He had to make all those steps by himself, with a little support by his side.

One week had passed since this night and now was the day of his first interview for a new job. The entire week since he had made his decision to move on he had stayed at her place, had slept on her couch. Lindsay had been amazed by how much he had changed during those few days. The distant and sometimes cold expression had been replaced by one filled with hope.

Now she was sitting on her living room couch and when the door to her bathroom was opened, she jumped up instinctively. Her eyes widened at the sight of the man in front of her, dressed in a suit she had bought for him, with his hair washed and brushed and an unsure smile on his face.  
"Hey," she greeted him with a smile. "Wow you...look good in suits."  
Danny chuckled lightly. "Well, I haven't worn any suits since I lost my last job. It's quite a strange feeling if you ask me. Something different than layers of clothes that are supposed to keep you warm."

"You think you're going to miss that?" Lindsay asked.

He shook his head. "I don't think so." He took a deep breath, shifting uncomfortably in his suit. "Do you think there are any chances that Mr Taylor might employ me? I mean...well, the application documents of me are really good, but...I can't deny that for the last couple of weeks I've been homeless."

"So what?" Lindsay asked. "First of all, the man is Stella's boyfriend, she knows him."

"You know, I still don't feel that well about that," Danny interrupted her. "I don't want any benefits and stuff."

"All Stella did was finding out he needed an assistant," Lindsay answered. "She didn't tell him who you are or even that you'd apply for the job. She just let us know he's looking for someone and that he's a nice guy. That's all. You have to convince him all by your own. Which I really doubt will be a problem. Yes, you have been homeless for a while. Is that bad? No. I think we agreed on the fact that it's nothing to be ashamed of, or didn't we?"

"Yeah, we did," Danny sighed.

Lindsay nodded. "It's not something to be ashamed of at all. For no one. And I'm sure Mr Taylor will see that the same way. Plus you've got a lot of work experience. I mean, you've been a good craftsman, you've got the best references. He'll love to employ you."

"You're really convinced by that, aren't you?" Danny asked with a smile.

Lindsay nodded again, with more determination. "Yeah, I am. I know you can do it if you want. You're stronger than you think. You're getting back on track. All you need is some confidence in yourself."

"Which is not easy," he admitted.

"No worries, I'll give you the occasional kicks in the ass if you need them," Lindsay answered with a wink, making him laugh.

"Thanks," he said, his cheeks reddening lightly.

"It's fine," she replied, quickly easing his embarrassment. "Now hurry or you'll be late for your interview."

* * *

Danny hadn't asked her to come with him to his interview but Lindsay had simply done it anyway. Not because she believed he couldn't handle it himself. She knew he could. The moment he would walk through the door of Mac Taylor's office, he would be the professional craftsman and convince the man why he and no one else was perfect for the job.

Her curiosity though had made it impossible for her to wait until he would either call her or return to her place.

And, while she was sitting in the waiting room, not able to distract herself with magazines, she felt it again. The connection Stella and Jess had been mentioning a couple of times. For a while Lindsay had refused to believe that there was any connection between herself and Danny. She wanted to help him and for some reason she felt the urge to push him a bit. She had blamed the fact that he was stubborn and afraid to ask for help for that.

Now she knew better. Of course she had wished to make him open his eyes and realise that there was nothing wrong with asking for help and that he deserved support as much as everyone else, even if he seemed to have a different opinion about that.

But there was more. Lindsay didn't know when those feelings had appeared for the first time. She had ignored them for way too long to put a finger on when they had started. She had reached a point though where she knew that Danny was more to her than a person she wanted to help. More than a friend.

For weeks now she knew him and over those weeks she had started to feel something that made her hope he wouldn't believe he didn't need her anymore when he had managed to get his life back on track.

Strong feelings she had for him, but Lindsay had no idea what Danny was thinking about them. Was he feeling the same way? Or something completely different? Did he have feelings for her or was he just grateful for her help? She didn't know and Stella and Jess were right when they told her that she wouldn't find out if she didn't ask him. Currently, so she told herself, he had a lot to deal with though and she didn't want to step in as long as he was busy with arranging his new life. She knew it was just an excuse, but currently she wasn't ready for such a conversation either.

Lost in her thoughts she was and didn't noticed how quickly time passed. Almost she jumped up from her chair when the door to the waiting room was opened and Danny entered it.

"Hey," he said. "Nice that you've been waiting."

Instinctively Lindsay studied him for any hint that could reveal to her whether Danny's interview had been successful or not, but due to his poker face, there was nothing she could see.

"Uh...of course," she answered, still slightly dizzy from her former emotional thoughts. "So...how was it?"

For another couple of moments Danny stared at her before a broad grin spread across his face and his eyes no longer refused to communicate with her, sparkling in a way she had never seen it before.

"I got the job!" he announced.  
"You did?" In relief and excitement, Lindsay pressed a hand against her mouth. "Wow, that's brilliant!" And without knowing what she was actually doing, she made her way across the room to throw herself into his arms and embrace him tightly. Only when he closed his arms around her as well and held her even closer, she realised what she was doing. As he loosened his grip again, she pulled back quickly, her face blushing.

"That's so fantastic," she repeated, hoping to overplay her embarrassment. "Not that I had any doubt you would get the job."

"I had doubts though," he told her, obviously not minding either her embrace or her flushed face. "I was just not sure. I remember how I felt when I lost the job and couldn't get a new one. I thought that he wouldn't believe me that I'm willing to change something and that I'll not behave the way I did when I lost my job last time."

"I think everyone who knows a bit about people sees that you're willing to do something," she reassured him.

Danny nodded. "That's what he said as well. He also thanked me for being so honest and open." He paused for a moment, releasing a sigh of relief. "Now I wonder how I can thank you for that. If you hadn't kept in convincing me that I could get back to where I've once been and if you hadn't continued believing in me and supporting me, I wouldn't have gotten this job now."

Lindsay's face reddened even more at his words. "Well, anytime. I'm glad I could help you a bit. All you needed was a little push."

"The kick in the ass you mean." Danny winked at her. "Thanks for that, really. I know I've been incredibly stubborn, but honestly, it felt good to know that there's someone who doesn't give up on me but who believes in me."

"I hope you'll do the same from now on," Lindsay said.

"I'll try." Once again he was quiet for a moment and they stood there in front of each other, simply looking at each other. Lindsay wasn't sure whether she could trust her judgement of the situation and the look Danny was giving her. If she wasn't mistaken, what she found in those blue eyes was something she knew was more than the gratitude of a man who had received some support from her.

"Now that I have a job...if you want I can also move out soon," he said then.

"No," she answered quicker than wished. "I mean...no, you can stay at my place as long as you want. It's...nice to have a roommate and I guess it'd be a good idea if you saved some of your salary first before you get yourself an own place."

"Is that really okay to you?" Danny wanted to know.

Lindsay nodded determined. "Absolutely."

The relieved smile Danny gave her in response was a hint Lindsay had been wishing for. He was glad that she didn't mind him staying at her apartment. Of course there could be various reasons for that. But she wasn't stupid. She had a good knowledge of human nature and she believed that the look he was giving her meant more than relief because he wouldn't have to move into his own apartment yet. There was something between them and she knew what her friends would tell her; to just believe in it and see what would happen next. There was a connection between them and more and more she started to believe that it was indeed both sided.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Like I promised, I'm updating this fic a bit quicker. And this is the last chapter of this story. I'm sorry it's not so long, but it was done for a challenge and it was already too long. If anyone is truly interested in more though, just let me know. In fact I have a sequel in mind, but I'm not sure about that yet. Thanks to everyone who has been reading, reviewing and adding this story! Your support means so much to me! Thanks to Hannah554 for betaing! Special thanks to DL-Flangell-N-MiamiBound, afrozenheart412, Dine89, rhymenocerous and pretty7!**

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**A month later:

It was another icy day in winter. Lindsay didn't mind the low temperatures anymore though. Her mood was simply too good for that.

A lot had happened during the last couples of weeks. After refusing to even exchange a few words with her, Danny had agreed to allow her to offer him the support he needed. Anyway she hadn't taken his responsibility from him; he had to make all the needed steps, she was only there to help him if needed.

And he had made it happen. For a month now, Danny was working in his new job. While watching him closely, Lindsay had seen how he had soon adjusted to it and seemed to feel better with every day. She could fully understand it had been a big step for him, but he was doing great and she was proud of how determined he was working on himself.

Deep in her thoughts she was as she was watching all the people sitting at the tables, enjoying lunch together; so deep in her thoughts that she fully missed how a very familiar person entered the room as well. With an amused smile he made his way over to her and only when he was standing in front of her, she noticed his presence.

"Hey," he greeted. "Is someone daydreaming at work?"

Immediately Lindsay blushed bright red; not sure whether this happened because of Danny's words or because of the smile he was giving her.

"Uh...yeah, a bit I guess," she admitted, blushing even more as he laughed at her reaction. "It's nice you showed up here though. Are you on lunch break?"

Danny nodded. "Yeah, and I was hoping we could go and eat something together. I guess you should have a little lunch break yourself."

Lindsay smiled as well. "Sounds like a plan. But I have to work until Jess shows up here, I can't leave Stella alone. Then we can go and have lunch though."

"Good idea." He leant against the counter, watching her with a steadily growing smile. "I'll wait here with you."

"That's sweet of you," Lindsay answered. "Then while we do that, how's your job doing? Still well?"

Danny laughed. "You ask me that every day, you know that? It's still good, yes. Mr. Taylor is a fantastic boss and the work itself is great as well. I love it there." He paused for a moment and the look that he gave her then immediately made her worry again. "I also am earning money now. Enough money to get myself a new apartment."

The statement didn't come as a surprise for Lindsay. Since Danny was working again, she had waited for the day when he would tell her that he would look for an own place. This was the way it was supposed to be; he should be independent again. But somehow the prospect of him moving out again didn't please her at all.  
"You don't have to move out already," she told him. "You can still keep on saving money so you have enough to buy some furniture for your place."

Danny smirked at her words. "Why don't you just tell me that you want me to stay at yours?"

Once again Lindsay found herself blushing at the fact he had caught her. "Well, if you want I wouldn't mind if you stayed."

"Fine, then I'll save some money first," he answered with a wink. "But feel free to kick me out when I start to get on your nerves."

"I doubt that will ever happen," she said.

Danny nodded, not replying this time. But once again his eyes said more than words. The thoughtful expression immediately caught Lindsay's attention again and thanks to the fact they had gotten to know each other a lot better, she didn't hesitate to mention it.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked.

Danny glanced up at her again, this time giving no hint that could indicate he didn't want to talk about it. "My brother," he stated simply.

Lindsay nodded in understanding. Apart from the time when Danny had told her what had happened to his brother Louie, he hadn't mentioned him again. It was a sensitive topic to him and she could understand why. Just from those few things she knew about this man, Lindsay could tell that he and Danny were sharing a close connection. It was the reason why he had kept on helping his older brother and why he hadn't been able to handle the fact that he had been sent to prison.

"Did you ever visit him in prison since he's there?" Lindsay asked carefully.

Danny shook his head, immediately getting an expression filled with guilt. "I didn't. I couldn't." He paused, thinking about how to explain but she interrupted him.

"You don't have to tell me why or excuse it or anything," she let him know. "I can imagine it wouldn't have been easy for you. But I guess you've been thinking about him a lot."

"Yes," Danny answered. "Yes, I was thinking about him a lot. All the time. I just...couldn't make myself see him." He sighed. "I bet he believes I don't want to have anything to do with him anymore."

"Would he be right?" Lindsay wanted to know.

Again Danny shook his head. "I love my brother. I really do. I just...it pained me so much when he was arrested. I was so shocked and...well, yeah, I was disappointed as well. I've tried to be there for him and help him but he didn't let me. I also felt so guilty. I think I'm just afraid to face him."

"Are you afraid because you believe he would blame you?" Lindsay asked.  
Danny shrugged. "Louie wouldn't blame me, even if he did so. I don't know what's scaring me."

Lindsay nodded. "I see. So does that mean you'll wait until he's released from prison?"

"I don't think I want to wait that long, to be honest," Danny told her. "But...I...how can I stop being scared of it?"

"Just do it," Lindsay answered. "I know, that's very easy to say. But I'd say the best would be to just do it. Go to the prison, visit him. Yeah, sure, you won't go there easily and relaxed, that's normal. But see...I think you can't always avoid uncomfortable feelings. Sometimes you have to face them and experience them. There's no other way for you to find out how he is and what he's thinking." She paused for a moment. "See, Danny, to me it seems like you're missing him really much. Of course I can't guarantee that the meeting will go well. But I believe that you should give it a try. Go and visit him. Tell him that you're still there for him."

She watched Danny in silence for a while, seeing how the thoughts were running through his mind. Then he sighed, shaking his head. "Why does everything always have to be so difficult?"

"Because otherwise life would be really boring I guess," Lindsay told him with a light smile.

Danny chuckled. "Yeah, maybe you're right. Well...I guess you're right with everything you just said. I guess I should just visit him. See what'll happen."

"Very good idea," Lindsay answered. Of course visiting Louie wouldn't be an easy step for Danny. But he had proven that he could handle difficult situations and she believed this one would be no exception.

* * *

When he was led through the prison, Danny could feel his heart beating faster with every step he made. Deep inside he knew that Lindsay was right. He wouldn't find out how his brother was if he didn't face him.

Since the day his brother had been arrested, he had felt like he was constantly falling. Now that he had left this period of his life behind, he had to admit she had been right when she had told him that this wasn't what he really wanted. Something inside Danny had always told him he wanted to get an apartment and job back, but somehow he hadn't been able to make the necessary steps. Partly because he had believed he had to punish himself for not stepping in more.

Being led into the visitor's room, Danny's hands clenched into fists to ease the tension that was threatening to overwhelm him. He wouldn't turn around and run away now. He would do what he had promised Lindsay and himself. He would visit Louie. No matter how difficult this would be.

Shivering, he sat down on his side of the glass wall like he was told. He had to wait a couple of seconds. And then there he was. Dressed in the usual clothes prisoners wore, Louie entered the room as well and was led to the chair across of Danny. As he spotted his younger brother, a confused and surprised expression appeared in Louie's eyes. Still with shaking hands, Danny grabbed the hearer, Louie mirroring his actions. And for the first time after months, he could hear his brother's voice again.

"Hey Louie," he greeted, forcing his voice to not shake too much. "I...guess you didn't expect me to show up here."

"Not at all," Louie admitted. "I...well, I was hoping you would though."

"I'm sorry it took me so long," Danny said quietly but Louie shook his head.

"No, don't apologize," he answered. "I'm the one who messed up." He sighed. "See, Danny, in here you have a lot of time to think. I think it's maybe one of the purposes. I often thought about you. I know how many times you wanted to help me and tried to make me understand that what I've been doing was wrong. You tried to get me away from this gang. I didn't listen to you, but I know now that I should have to. I'm sorry I didn't listen to you and I would have fully understood if you hadn't visited me at all. I'd not speak a single word with me anymore."

Listening to what Louie had to say, a rush of relief filled Danny. Lindsay had been right; Louie wasn't blaming him. Instead his brother even seemed to have finally understood what he had tried to make him believe over all those years; that this gang was bad for him.

"Don't say that," he said then though. "I know it took me quite a while to come here. I couldn't handle that you got arrested. I...well, I messed up a lot myself back then, you know. But as tough as the last few weeks and months have been, they had one good thing. I understand now how easily you get yourself into situations or how easily you make mistakes. Important is that you have someone who keeps on believing in you, no matter how much you mess up. And...well, Louie, I want you to know that I'm this person for you. You might have done stupid things, but you're still my brother and I'll be waiting for you. I'll pick you up when you're released from prison again. I got your back."

Once again Danny found Louie looking at him in surprise. The smile he got in response though told him that with telling him to visit his brother, Lindsay had made him do the right thing. His brother had understood. He was willing to change to prevent the past from getting repeated. And he would make sure he would give him the needed support for that. Like he had received it himself.

* * *

When she had suggested to take Danny to the prison, Lindsay had known waiting for him to return wouldn't be an easy situation. The connection between the two of them had steadily grown over the weeks and months and so the visit was affecting her as well. Even though she didn't know Louie, Lindsay couldn't see him blaming Danny for the events from the past. In her opinion it was important that he talked to his brother though and figured it out by himself instead of living in a constant ambiguity.

Her heart made a little jump when the doors in front of her were opened again and Danny stepped onto the large parking lot. Lindsay forced herself to stay at her car and wait for him. Anyway she used the chance to study his face and relief filled her as she found him smiling brightly.

"You've been in there quite long," she greeted him with a smile of her own. "I was already worried they arrested you as well."

Danny laughed. "Nah, I'm a good boy."

"Good." Her smiled widened as he stopped in front of her. "So?"

"So." He sighed. "I think you have to be a really wise woman. Or a mind reader or something like that. You were right. He didn't blame me. He believed though that I didn't want to have anything to do with him anymore, so he was pretty surprised I showed up."

"And what did you tell him?" she wanted to know.

Danny's smile widened as well. "I told him that I understand now how easily you make mistakes but that you can always change things again when you work for it hard enough. And when you have someone by your side who believes is you. I told him I'll be this person for him. I'll be there for him. I think he was pretty happy about that."

Danny's answer caused a strong excitement to fill Lindsay. "That's so fantastic," she told him proudly. "I hope you know how much it has to mean to him that he can be sure someone who believes in him is waiting for him."

"Possibly he'll feel like me," Danny said.

Lindsay gave him a questioning look. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that I know how important it is to have someone who believes in you," he explained. "You believed in me as well. Look what I managed to do. Don't say it was only me who made this happen. The fact that you believed in me all the time was what made me actually understand that it's worth it."

"I'm glad I could help," she replied. She didn't miss he had stepped a bit closer and once again she could feel the familiar strong connection between them.

"You did more than just help," he answered. "I think I also got it now. Why you didn't give up on me."

"And why is that?" Lindsay wanted to know.

"Can I show you?" Danny asked. Barely she had nodded in response as he had already closed the last bit of distance between them and kissed her. The kiss took her by surprise but it didn't take her a second to respond to a kiss that wiped away the last few doubts that her friends had been right with their theory. Endlessly long minutes passed until they parted again.

"I think this is the moment where we're supposed to say something," Lindsay said quietly. "But actually I don't know what to say."  
"I think sometimes actions say more than words," Danny told her.

Nodding in agreement, Lindsay allowed Danny to pull her back into his arms again for another kiss. During the last few weeks and months, a strong connection had built between them. It had brought them to the point they were at now. They hadn't had an easy start. All the hindrances they had to pass only had brought them closer though. And one fact they knew for sure; everything was a lot easier with someone by your side who believes in you, in every situation.


End file.
